


Better

by FridaysChild



Category: Batman Beyond, DCU
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-29
Updated: 2011-11-29
Packaged: 2017-10-26 16:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/285351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FridaysChild/pseuds/FridaysChild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce fires Terry again. Terry always refuses to stay gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better

**Author's Note:**

> For batfic-contest on LJ, #96: Lucky.

There’s an old saying that it’s better to be lucky than good.

Bruce thinks it’s half right; you do have to be good in their line of work, but it sure as hell helps to be lucky, too. The ones that aren’t usually don’t make it very long.

Bruce has never considered himself especially fortunate, though he supposes he couldn’t do what he does if he didn’t have the money to outfit himself. Still, without much luck on his side, he’s had to become not just good but the best.

Terry, on the other hand, is lucky, and for once in his life, Bruce feels lucky himself that Terry found him. And Terry’s stubborn in all the right ways; he’s the only one that pushes back when Bruce starts something, instead of pulling further away. He doesn’t give himself enough credit for being smart, either; Terry’s the only person Bruce knows who can read him like an open book.

He’s lost track of the times he’s tried to fire Terry. Terry either storms out and shows up the next day like nothing ever happened, or if it was a particularly bad fight, he steals the suit out from under Bruce’s nose. Bruce lets him.

 

Barbara witnesses one of their more spectacular fights, set off by a police officer getting shot in the chest during a firefight between the police and some bank robbers, in which Batman had gotten involved. She’d been coming to give Terry an update; collapsed lung, but her officer will live. Bruce is right in the middle of yelling at Terry for not being able to protect the officer. It hadn’t been Terry’s fault, though, even she knows that.

“I’m not superhuman, Bruce!” Terry is in the middle of yelling. “I’m a guy in a cool suit and yeah I’ve gotten better but I can’t be everywhere!”

“You need to be better. You need to train harder.” Bruce doesn’t yell, precisely, but his Batman always had a particularly low register that he growled in when he was disappointed. He’s using it now. Ace whines and puts his head down on his paws.

“Trying to keep up a civilian lifestyle, remember?” Terry shoots back, yanking the suit off. “Secret identity? Not falling asleep in class?”

“Well, maybe you’re not ready to do both. Get out.”

“Fine!” Terry throws the suit at Bruce. He grabs his backpack and stalks out of the cave. At the top of the stairs he shoots over his shoulder, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Barbara is beyond amused. “Do you to always fight like and old married couple?”

“Shut up, Barbara,” Bruce growls.

“Wasn’t sure about him at first, but you’re lucky to have that kid.” She has differences with Bruce, yeah, but half of those are caused because he doesn’t have someone like Terry in his life, and it’s not like she’s ever wished bad things on him.

Bruce’s mouth quirks slightly at the corner. “I know.”


End file.
